The Texas delegation showed an overwhelming supported for the passage of the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) passed in the House.

The House passed the controversial bill 288-127, and the Texas vote reflected similar support, 27-9. The bill would allow private companies to voluntarily share information with the government if a cyber attack occurred.

“With so much of what we do every day online, I believe it is critical for our safety and the nation’s to allow private businesses to voluntarily cooperate with the government when it comes to stopping cyber attacks.” Rep. Kay Granger of Fort Worth said following the vote.

Rep. Michael McCaul of Austin, the chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, said the Boston bombings reflects the need for Congress to enact safeguards now against this online form of terrorism.

“I think if anything, the recent events in Boston demonstrate that we have to come together… to get this done in name of national security,” McCaul said on the House floor on Thursday. “In the case of Boston, they were real bombs, explosive devices. In this case they’re digital bombs. These digital bombs are on their way. That’s why this legislation is so important. That’s why it’s so urgent. For if we don’t and those digital bombs land and attack the United States, and Congress failed to act, then Congress has that on its hands.”

Proponents say the measure would help protect the nation against the reportedly increasing amount of cyber attackers, however opponents argue it is an invasion of privacy that would allow companies to easily hand over private information to the government.

Three Texas legislators, Reps. Sheila Jackson Lee, Joe Barton, and McCaul, joined several others who proposed their own individual amendments to the bill to more specifically define how and when the information is shared.

Rep. Beto O’Rourke, an El Paso Democrat who voted against the measure, said the he still felt bill lacks sufficient safeguards in protecting the private information of individuals.

“There’s no doubt Congress must act to improve cyber security and combat ongoing cyber threats but we should never legislate out of fear or sacrifice essential rights, such as privacy, in the name of security,” he said on the House floor.

McCaul has been an active advocate for improving cyber security measures. A bill he authored that would improve funding for cyber security research passed the House earlier this week and is onto the Senate.

Despite support in the House, it faces an unsure future in the Senate. A similar bill passed the House last year but received a swell of opposition on the internet and it died in the Senate. The White House has also acknowledged it would not sign the bill.